Flushing of a tank-type toilet requires approximately five (5) gallons of water. This is wasteful of water and is especially of concern when water shortage, water purification and sewage treatment problems exist in many localities. The applicant is aware of the following U.S. patents which have recognized these problems and have proposed devices to reduce the problem.
______________________________________ Inventor(s) U.S. Pat. No. ______________________________________ Lake 3,375,531 Robinson 3,768,103 Addicks et al 4,122,564 Mayes 4,144,600 del Pozo 4,172,299 Bresnyan 4,173,801 Burns 4,504,984 David 4,561,131 Pasquin 5,005,225 Gajewski 5,033,129 Zaruba 5,111,537 Medina 5,121,510 Navarrete 5,175,893. ______________________________________
However, for a variety of reasons the devices disclosed in these patents have not been generally accepted despite the longstanding need. Some of the devices require specially made parts. Others cannot be used with the standard toilet tank. Still others require the user to acquire a special technique for turning or controlling the handle movement.
Thus, there is a need for a flush valve system which can be easily controlled in a standard tank-type toilet, which requires no unusual use techniques and which conserves water.